Monday, 16 July 2007

The myth and fodder amonst other things

What does it take to sew a myth (fictitious narrative) into being using not just fodder but any materials?How does an artist decide what may be a potential myth, can an artist make such decision ? I am reminded of looking into a kaleidascope,(beautiful form) when ones sees a particular configuration and it fleetingly impresses and then disappears, ever elusive and yet somehow convincing. Its shade or memory has left something behind. Then slowly the mind pads up that shade, it changes shape, changes even its meaning but it carries a constant cord which turns itself into a spiral. A transformation has taken place. Here becomes the spiral of journey. there are endless wayside stops, any of them can yield up a myth if that is the intent.No matter what the form of the outcome if it touches a dreamer then it potentiallly is a myth.If the large grass figures the Western desert women are making represent mythological characters then there is a clear example of making a myth visual.I mean even though everyone knows Wati and Minyma Patjata exist in the ranges around Blackstone (Papalunkutja) until now they had never been seen in human form. Now they have.That is amazing. A ancient myth has made a visual contemporary entrance into the world. (And grass at that)Sometimes I think the pieces of clothing I make have the potential to contain myth. For instance the xanthorrheoa dress made 1996. It has never lost its visual strength and as it moves further away from my making it takes on it own presence which that dreamer may interpret as myth.I recall some years ago displaying the dress laying gently on a table which was covered with a length of plant dyed gold silk. An anglican priest came by and stood looking at it for a long time. He was seeing a myth in it, he was a dreamer.

1 comment:

This really is an interesting and quite exciting idea. And I love the idea that things can move from being mere creation through time to being a representation of something more. The idea of people bringint their own reading to things has always been fascinating - where does meaning reside? Barthes is a good one to read; "Death of an author". Who defines the meaning in our creations? I think this is fantastic and opens our creativity up for dialogue. Does that make sense?!!